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No. 625,|57. Patented May I6, |899.

J C EDWARDS wAnP..sT0P mman Fon Looms.

(Appliceioii Enea Nav. 4, 189s.)

(No Model.)

NTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. EDWARDS, OF BROOKLINE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO) THE DRAPER COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, AND HOPEDALE, AMASSA- CHUSETTS.

WARP STOP-MOTION FOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 625,157, dated May 16, 1899. Application filed November 4, 1898.- Serial No. 695,422. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN' QEDWARDS, of Brookline, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in l/Varp Stop-Motions for Looms, of Which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,

like letters and figures on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to Warp stop-motion mechanism for looms wherein the engagement and arrest of a normallysvibratin g feeler by an abnormally-positioned detector 'operate through the feeler to effect the stoppage automatically of the apparatus to which the stop-motion is applied. v

The leading novel features of my present invention comprise the usev of detectors hav ing an angular or rotative movement from inoperative to'operative position and mounted on a fixed support, together with a feeler cooperating therewith in such manner that upon engagement of a detector with the feeler the former will be subjected to tensile strain and preferably in a direction substantially radial to the support or axis of the detector. As in v other stop-motion devices of this general type,

the detectors herein are maintained in inoperative position by the Warp-threads while the .latter are unbroken or under proper tension.

My invention is herein illustrated as applied to a loom without in any manner limiting the application of the invention thereto.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a loom With one embodiment of my invention applied thereto, taken on the line ma, Fig. 2. Figi 2 is a partial rear elevation of the apparatus shownin Fig.1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of part of the mechanism shown in Fig. l. Figs. 4 and 5 are per; spective details, enlarged, of tWo different forms of feeler to be described; Aand Fig. 6 is a detail, enlarged, of a modiiied form of detector with its ,cooperating feeler.

Omittin g the greater part of the loom mechanism proper in the drawings, the harnesses H, shipper-lever S, Whip-bar W, and leaserods L L' may be andl areof usual construction, the Warp stop-motion controlling or actuating detectors being shown herein as located back of the lease-rods.

The detectors are preferably made of metal, such as thin hardened sheet-steel, cut or otherwise shaped, a series of such detectors d, Figs. l to 3, being loosely mounted to move angularly or rock on a fixed rod or shaft m, extended across the loom and held in brackets M on the loom-frame A..

I have shown the detectors as substantially ovoid in outline and notched or cut away at one edge below the point of support to leave a shoulder d', the support'm, passing through the detector belowr its center of gravitywhen in inoperative position (shown by full lines) and preferably as near as possible to the shoulder, for a purpose to be described.

Each detector has in its upper portion a warp-eye dx, and when the thread to is properly taut and unbroken it maintains the detector in the full-line inoperative position, Figs. l and 3, and in order to prevent the pull of the thread from tipping the detector forward over center I` prefer toextend alight stop-rod m along the front of theseries, as shown. When vin such position, the shoulders d are below and out of the path of movement of the cooperating feeler, Which latter is shown in Figs. 1 to 3 as a cylindrical bar f, having a V-shaped longitudinal groove f therein along its lower portion, the feeler being mounted to rockin suitable bearings m2 in the brackets M. Failure orundue slackness of a Warp-thread permits its detector to turn or move angularly on the support m rearwardly by virtue of the greater Weight of its upper part into dotted-line position, Fig.

3, to bring the shoulder d into the curved y path of and to engage the wall 2 of the groove f of the feeler as the latter rocks in the direction of the arrow 10. The point d2 of the detector enters the feeler-groove and brings up against the-wall 4 thereof to thus limit such angular movement of thedetector, so that the feeler has the added function of a limiting-stop for the detector-movement.

The movement of the feeler in the direction of the arrow 10 maybe termed its feeling stroke, and When the detector has moved into the position described its shoulder d engages and arrests the movement of the feeler. It Will be noticed that the resistance' of the detector to further movement of the feeler is IOO ' substantially radial to the point of support of the detector. and very near such support, the detector being subjected to a tensile strain. Thus the pull of the feeler on the detector is resisted by and transferred with great directness to the strong support m, and as the strain is tensile there is no tendency to bend, buckle, or twist the detector, obviating the necessity for lateral guides or supports for the latter.

Should a detector be released when the feeler is at the end of the feeling stroke the edge of the detector below the point (Z2 will rest on the cylindrical surface of the feeler until the latter on its back stroke reaches its limit. (Shown by full lines, Fig.

l am enabled to bring the feeler and detectors into very close proximity by the construction shown, making a compact and sim- Vple mechanism.

In Fig. 5 a modified form of feeleris shown made as an angle-iron fx and provided with journals f3 at its ends to rock in the bearings in the brackets M, the operation of this form of feeler being the same as that of the feeler fdescribed. Any suitable mechanism may be employed to effect the normal vibration of the feeler and to operate the stopping means for the apparatus, and one convenient form is herein shown, the feeling stroke being effected by gravity and the back stroke positively. An arm a2 on the feeler is bent rearwardly andvupward to clear the detectorsupport fm, said arm having pivotally connected therewith a bent arm a3, provided with a bunter a5, and a toe a4, normally resting by its weight on an edge cam D, mounted on the cam-shaft C, the bunter being moved by the cam into and out of the path of one or more tappets '15 of a cam T, also on the shaft C. Upon arrest of the feeler the bunter a5 is held up in the path of a tappet, engagement therewith swinging the link or arm a3 to the rear. This arm is slotted at Ct to receive a stud d on a short lever d10, pivoted at its upper end at (Z7 to alink d8, hooked around the cam-shaft at dg, and jointed at its other end to an arm e of a rock-shaft eX, provided with a knock-off'arm e' for the shipper-lever. A rod e2 is jointed at its ends to the arm e and the lower end of the lever d10, respectively, the joint c3 acting as the lever-fulcrum when the bunter is acted upon by a tappet, the swing of the upper end of the lever moving the link d8 longitudinally to operate the knock-off arm. The feeling stroke of the feeler is due to gravity, and the reverse stroke is positively effected by the mechanism shown.

In the modification shown in Fig. 6 the principle of operation is substantially as hereinbefore described, though the details of construction differ. The greater portion of the detector h is normally maintained in full-line inoperative position by the warpthread w passing through the eye hx, the center of gravity of the detector being at such time above its axis or support fn. The lower edge of the detector is shaped to present a shoulder h', extending from the point 5 to the outer extremity 6, the part h2 of the edge being substantially radial to the detector-axis of rotation, while preferably the shoulder is nonconcentric therewith, flaring slightly toward the outer end 6. I have shown the feeler as a bar 7c, extended beneath the support of the detectors and normally moving up and down from full-line position to a little beyond dotted-line position, the feeler being mounted on long arms t', attached to a rock-shaft 7&2, movement of the latter being effected bythe mechanism shownin Figs. l and 2, the rockerarm 7a3 being connected with the link or arm (t3. Normally the Vibrations of the feeler will be unimpeded; but when a thread releases its detector the latter immediately tends to move into dotted-line position, so that when the feeler is at the upper end of its stroke the shoulder h swings into and across its path, stopping the return or gravity-actuated stroke, with consequent release of the shipper-lever. By slightly flaring the shoulder the entrance between its point G and the part of the detector adjacent the support n is enlarged to avoid any improper engagement of the cooperating parts, and the feeler serves to limit the detector swing by engagement with the edge h2. In this modification the detector is also subjected to tensile strain when engaged by the feeler in a direction radial to its support n and quite near the latter.

A stop-rod nx prevents accidental overthrow of the detectors by wrap-thread pull.

My invention is not restricted to the pre` cise shape of either detector or feeler as herein shown, nor to the feeler-vibrating means shown and described; but it will be seen that the stopping means is operated by the mediation of connective devices by or through the feeler when the latter is engaged by a released deteetorinstead of operating such stopping means through a movement imparted to the detector so engaged. v

I-Iaving described my invention, what I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an apparatus of the class described, a series of thin, fiat detectors having each a warp-eye and a feeler-engaging shoulder, an axial, fixed support loosely extended through said detectors eccentric to their centers of gravity, the detectors being maintained by normal warp-threads in inoperative upright position with their' warp-eyes substantially directly above the axial support,whereby the weight of the detectors is sustained by said support, a normally-vibrating feeler, stopping means operative by or through the feeler upon engagement of the latter with a detector, gravity-induced angular movement of a released detector moving its shoulder into the path of and to engage the feeler, and a stop IOC) IOS

IIO

located near the upper ends of upright dctectors to prevent overthrow of the latter by the pull of the warp-threads.

In an apparatus of the class described, a series of detectors each provided with a feelerengaging portion and a warp-eye, located at opposite sides of the detector-support, a detector-support extended loosely through the detectors eccentric to their centers of gravity and on which said detectors are angularly movable when released by failure or slackness of their warp-threads, a normally-vibrating feeler to engage a detector released by failure or slackness of its warp-thread, and thereby subject the detector to tensile strain, stopping means actuated by operative engagement of the feeler and the detector,the pullof the Warpthreads maintaining the detectors in upright, inoperative position with their weight susvtained wholly by the xed support, and tending t0 overthrow said detectors, and a fixed stop to prevent such overthrow of the detectors.

3. In an apparatus ofthe class described, a

lnormally-vibrating feeler, stopping means or slackness of the warp-threads, the feeler engaging the reentrant portionA ot' the de*` tended through said detectors eccentric to their centers of gravity and near their shoulders, the detectors being maintained by normal Warp-threads in inoperative position with their heavier portions above the axial support, a normally-vibrating feeler, and stop-` ping means for the loom operative by or through the feeler upon its engagement with a detector, gravity-induced angular movement of areleased detector moving its shoulder upward into the path of and to engage and arrestthe feeler. v

5. As a new article of manufacture, a thin, fiat detector for warp-stop-moti'on mechanisms, substantially ovoid in shape andhaving an aperture eccentric to itscenter of gravity to receive an axial support, and aV warpeye and a shoulder located atopposite sides of said aperture.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN o. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

ALEXANDER C; PRoUDEIT, FREDERICK L. EMERY. 

